Gone
by KH3AQUA
Summary: Riku is leaving Destiny Island behind. That means he's leaving Sora. Will Sora survive alone? Even with his mother and Kairi, can he deal with his feeling and move on in life?
1. Memory

Sora sat on the bed next to his tall pal: Riku. Today was the last day he'd see him for who knows how long and the silver haired man hadn't said one word to him since he waltzed into the room half an hour ago. Kairi was downstairs helping Riku's Mother and Father make lunch in the kitchen. She knew that Sora loved Riku; but he'd never return his feelings. There was no sign or notion that Riku loved him back; according to Kairi. So Sora didn't tell Riku how he felt; and now regretted it. The young man was leaving to live with Paine in the same apartment complex as Yuna and Rikku, who also shared an apartment. The accommodations were temporary until Riku found his own apartment. Once Sora thought maybe Riku loved him back; however he believed it unlikely. And that was when Riku started to talk and hang out with Rikku, Paine and Yuna more often. He even left the island for days to hang out with the girls, Tidus and Wakka at a Bitz Ball match or some other event. Sora remembered the first time when he left. He didn't even tell Sora or Kairi. He just up and left without a word then showed up a week later. The room was laced with tense strings that kept tripping Riku as he was packing his knick knacks. Riku pulled Sora's brain away from his thoughts as he spoke.

"Hey Sora…? Would you like to have this?" He said showing Sora his picture of him and Sora in a childish frame from when they were five at Riku's birthday party.

"B-but…Riku? You…don't want it?" Sora asked and felt the tears welling at the back of his eyes.

"Paine's place isn't very big. I don't want to take anything that's just going to take up space." He said and Sora stood up.

"No. I don't want it. And I don't want you to go either. I want you to stay here with me…and Kairi!" He saved himself from sounding like it was just for him.

"Look Sora. I want to go. I just can't stand it here anymore. And I'm nineteen, honestly. I can take care of myself." Riku said and sat the picture back on his shelf. "Leave it then." He said and packed a smaller picture of Kairi and him in a pocket on the side of his back pack.

"I'm done then. Have fun with Paine, Yuna and Rikku. See you." Sora said forcefully and stomped out of the room and down the hall. He slammed the door as angry tears slid from the corners of his eyes.

"Sora!" Kairi yelled from the living room and trotted halfway through the kitchen.

"Is he okay?" Riku's Mother asked.

"He'll be fine. He's being a baby." Riku said walking down the stairs.

"Did you say anything to hurt his feelings Riku?" Riku's father asked. He knew full well that Sora was in love with his son, as did his wife. They felt sorry for the young brunet.

"Nope. I offered him a picture because I don't want to take it." He said and shrugged. Kairi glanced at him a bit disturbed.

"Was it the picture from your birthday when you were five?!" Kairi asked quickly and Riku nodded.

"Oh…poor Sora. That was his…favorite picture of the two of you. He must think that you're trying to get rid of him Riku." Riku's mother said and her husband put his hand on hers. "He always looks at it in the hall when he walks to your room." She said and squeezed her husband's hand unhappily. How she wished Riku loved Sora like Sora loved him.

"You want lunch?" Kairi said a bit tense to Riku.

"Sure." He said and she pushed a sand which over to Riku. Kairi started to think about the picture and remembered how happy Sora was that day. Riku favored his gift above all that he got. A little set of three Transformer characters. Sure it was the smallest; but Riku loved it and still had one. Sora had another while Kairi had one too. It was in a box of memories she hid under her bed. Deciding to check it out when she got home she watched Riku eat his sand which silently.

Tears streaked rivers down Sora's face as the boy rested in his mother's arms. Her curly brown hair sat in a rough bun at the back of her head as she mumbled calming words into Sora's hair. Sora gripped his little 'Bumble Bee' Transformer figure in his right hand as she held him around the shoulders. She'd grown accustomed to Sora's secret one-sided love pointed at Riku. The boy was so stricken that she was fearing for Sora's future with a broken heart. She sat him on the couch like she did many times before when he was a child. For a moment she pictured her young son on the couch with his little yellow robot toy a few days after Riku's fifth birthday party. The small blue-eyed boy was crying soundlessly with his scraped knee and arm. 'Does it hurt So-kun?' She remembered asking him. His reply was 'No! Riku wouldn't hurt; so I wont either.' He'd been so confident back then. Now he was eighteen, and seemed a broken man. Soon he stopped crying and his flushed face looked ashamed as he wiped his eyes.

Kairi drove Riku to the air port and walked him to his port.

"So I guess this it goodbye…!" She said and wrapped her arms around him.

"Yeah." He said slightly guiltily and imagined Sora at the beach alone. "Take care of him Kairi. He's fragile." Riku said as she let him go. He turned and walked into the gate.

"You have no idea Riku." She said and a single tear slid down her cheek. She jogged out to her car so she could get to Sora's.

Within half an hour she was running up Sora's porch steps and knocked. His mother answered quietly.

"Hello Kairi. He's up in his room. So, Riku's gone?" She asked and sighed as Kairi nodded.

"I can't believe what Riku said when he left. He told me that Sora is fragile and for me to take care of him." She said and Sora's mother smiled.

"Just like Riku. Oblivious." She said and put a hand on Kairi's shoulder. "Even so, however true and oblivious Riku is, you will won't you? Help me care for my son?" She asked and looked at Kairi's sincere stare.

"I promise I will!" She said and Sora's mother wrapped her arms around Kairi. Kairi hugged her back and then Kairi started for the hall.

"Kairi." She said and Kairi turned. "Thank you." She said and Kairi nodded smiling.

"Your welcome!" She said and continued to Sora's messy upstairs room.


	2. Time

"Okay so this is your room. Just make sure that all your personal items stay in there. Rikku's faveorite thing to do is sneak in through the front window. Once the warden even watched her. I was astonished." Paine said as she walked into the small room.

"He, he. Will do. By the way thanks for letting me stay here for now." He said and she smiled.

"It's no problem. Yuna said she'll be around a little later; no telling when Rikku will show up. She's on a different time log than normal people. She usually shows up before and leaves before Yuna comes over. Or right after Yuna leaves. Very rarely will Rikku be accompanied by somebody." Paine said and shrugged.

"Oh…" Was all Riku said and Paine left the room closing the door. He came back out to find her at the table reading a book and Rikku sitting on the counter.

"Riku!" Rikku yelled and ran for Riku.

"Uh, hi Rikku." He said barely surviving her attack she called a 'hug'.

"So! Aren't you totally excited to live with Paine!? She's really secretive, maybe you'll get some more info on her for me and Yunie!" She said jumping up and down.

"Rikku! You're losing respect points again!" She said from the table and Riku laughed.

Sora groaned at the light knock at his door and looked past his pillow and grumbled a 'come in'. Kairi walked in and crawled on the bed silently.

"You okay?" She asked and grabbed his hand. He cast his eyes to the wall and held back a sob remembering when Kairi had held him down long ago for Riku to put hydrogen peroxide on a large cut on his leg as a child. A large dent had formed on the wall because Sora hit his head during the struggle on it.

"K-kairi?" He asked and looked at her. She looked at him curiously. "You think he'll ever come back?" he asked and felt slow tears form.

"I do Sora. He'll be back for you and I." She said and wrapped an arm around Sora who closed his eyes.

downstairs with Sora's mom

"Hey Terra. How're you?" Sora's mother asked Riku's mother.

"I'm good Lynne. How about you? Is Sora coping well?" She asked in a concerned manner.

"I'm worried about him. He's going to be a project. Hopefully Riku comes back or backs off for good. I'm sorry to say that. But for my son's good.-" Terra stopped her.

"I understand. I'd hope the same thing too. Want to go get some coffee tomorrow with Sora and Kairi? We'll go to star bucks; since Sora loves it." Terra said and smiled on the other end.

"Sounds good. Want to car pool? I'll pick up Kairi then we'll come get you?" Lynne reasoned.

"No. I'm going to the bank first so I'll pick Kairi up and then come get you and Sora, 'kay?" She asked and laughed a bit.

"Sure! Good nigh Terr." Lynne said.

"Night!" Terra said and hung up.

Lynne crept into Sora's room and looked at the sleeping boy on Kairi's arm. Kairi looked at him and smiled.

"You want to sleep over Kairi? And then tomorrow Terra will pick us up and we'll go for star bucks." She said and stood in the doorway.

"Yeah and thanks!' Kairi said and turned back as Lynne closed the door. She called Terra and told her that Kairi was sleeping over at her house and then headed off to bed.

Aqua: I know it isn't much. But it's some. 3 reviews sounds good. If I get 3 reviews I'll make sure the next chapter is longer. If not, then it'll be short again because I'm lazy. Ha ha.


	3. Help

I didn't get my 3 reviews; but 2 was good enough. I hope this one is longer though. Please review afterward. It's appreciated. Be prepared for some drama in the next chapter too. I swear, someone's going to get hurt. And it will be either Riku, Sora or Kairi. Let your minds think on it! And I like ideas too. Or suggestions. I'd be thankful!

Sora woke up and stood at his window as Kairi stirred. She'd slept in her shoes on accident and a light knock on the door came. Sora's mother told them that she had pancakes downstairs and Kairi went over to the closet. She always kept an extra pair of clothes here for when something like this spontaneous sleepover happened; or Riku pushed her in the pool.

Sora walked down stairs and sat next to Kairi across from his mom.

"Sora, we're going to go out for star bucks with Riku's mother today; okay?" She asked and Sora nodded as he stuffed his mouth. Shortly after they ate Riku's mother showed up.

"Hey everyone!" She called from the car as they locked the door. Sora and Kairi sat in the back of the truck and Lynne sat in the passenger seat. Once at the coffee shop Sora sat with Kairi since his mother knew exactly what he liked and rested his head on his arms. He smiled at the table next to him as he remembered when Riku first bought him a drink from here.

_'Where are we going again Riku?' he'd asked with a blind fold on his face. 'You'll see. You'll like it too!' Riku'd said as Sora held his shirt. They walked in and Sora tried to imagine what it looked like; clearly an impossible task. The clerk looked at Riku. 'What would you like?' she asked and Riku looked at Sora. 'Sora, you want chocolate, strawberry, chai tea, orange-mocha or raspberry mocha?' Sora thought it over for a second and then decided. 'I feel like strawberries!' He'd said very excitedly. After a few minutes Riku handed him a cold plastic cup and sat Sora down. 'Okay, drink.' He said and Sora did as Riku said. An eternal bliss of sweet strawberry engulfed his senses and Riku laughed at Sora when he downed it. His brain felt like it had been in the freezer as he pulled his fold off and looked at the amazing drink. 'Star-Bucks? Oh my god Riku! I'm in love!' _Kairi pulled him out of his imagination as she placed a chai tea frappachino in front of him and he sipped at it.

"I remember once talking to Riku about your first drink here. He said you looked like you were in total sweet ecstasy!" Kairi said and Sora laughed.

"It was strawberry; still the best thing here!" he said and looked over to his mother and gave her a slight look of curiosity and sadness noticing her strawberry frappachino. Suddenly his pocket began to vibrate distracting him. He looked and saw that it was Riku. His happiness showed in his voice as he told Kairi who it was.

"It's Riku!" He said and she smiled slightly. He answered and she watched his face brighten. "Hello?" He said and listened to Riku's husky voice over the phone.

"Sora! Oh god, I'm so glad to hear from you!"

"You called me Riku." He said and laughed a bit.

"I guess I did huh? Well anyways, I called to say that I'm going out with Paine. Just steady for now… Is Kairi there? I want to say hello." Kairi watched Sora's face falter and knew Riku'd said something bad. He handed the phone to her and she listened as Riku told her about Paine; but she wasn't paying much attention as Sora had grabbed his drink and walked outside.

"Yeah, yeah. Look, Riku, can I call you back? Sora…"

"What about him? He's fine isn't he?" Riku asked showing a bit of sympathy. Kairi felt the single tear slip from her eye and nodded even though Riku couldn't see her.

"He's okay. But I have to go." She said and went after the brunet leaving his phone with his mother. "I'll be back." She said and trotted out the door after Sora. She found him in an alley halfway down the block sobbing behind the trash can. She sat next to him and held his hand against his will.

"K-kairi! I can't live like this! I've got to have him! Or else I'll never be happy. I want to die right now." He said and let her embrace him.

"We'll get you help Sora. I swear." She said and they sat like that for a bit. Soon she coaxed him back to the car and they drove back to his house. She sat him on the couch and his mother sat next to him as Kairi paced in front of the television. "Okay, Sora, you can't do this with just us." She said and bit her finger nail. "You won't like it. But it's for your own good. I think you should see a professional." She said and Sora stood up.

"Kairi. I just want to be alone now. I can't deal with this." He said and walked up to his room. Kairi started to cry and Sora's mother comforted her. Kairi soon calmed and walked up to his room. She walked in and saw Sora with a razor. At the sight of that both sobbed and wrapped each other in their arms dropping the blade. "Kairi…I need help!" he said and she comforted him.

"Shh…I know, but this is something you've got to deal with. We can only sit back and offer support. Only a professional can help you." She said and he nodded.

The next morning they walked to the car in silence and the ride was silent as well. Kairi had Sora's finger intertwined with hers and the boy was crying with his eyes closed. They drove to the west building of the hospital and parked in silence. Sora carried his small bag of 2 pants, 3 shirts and some other clothes. They walked in the main entrance. Sora read and reread the sign. 'West Building Psyche ward' was burned into his brain as he cried still grasping Kairi's hand. They accepted him immediately and decided to aquaint him now. He hugged and kissed his mother. Then hugged Kairi a long time and then grabbed his bag. He walked after the short nurse and looked back at Kairi and his mother through the windowed doors. Both were crying as was he. They settled him in his room which was all white and the walls were padded.

"Alright Sora. We're going to have to examine all of your clothes so change into this and the doctor will be here in a minute." She said and gave him a smile as she passed him a hospital dress and some cotton boxers. He gave her a look of sadness and she placed a hand on his shoulder causing him to look away. "We're going to get through this." She said and looked at his tear streaked face. "Change and I'll be back in five with Dr. Black." She said and left the white room. He looked at the padded white walls and his big hospital bed. There was a single chair at an empty desk on the other side of the room. He changed quickly and sat the backpack and clothes at the door. The atmosphere in the room was dismal but he kept trying to convince himself it would help.


	4. The Truth

Author: Welcome back! I hope you enjoy this chapter as much as I did typing it. Reviews are plesant.  Prepare for the drama! More reviews people; or else I wont post for a month! Rawr! Ha ha.

Sora sat on the bed in silence. Today all he could think about was his session with the counselor yesterday. The woman had asked him 'Why would you want to have died?'. He remembered vividly as he searched his brain. He realized at that moment he had no reasonable reason. That was when he erupted into sobs and felt more alone than ever. She called in some officers and they took him to his room. Now he didn't have anyone to talk to. Kairi hadn't visited him in the 2 weeks he'd been there; neither had his mother. Plus he didn't think Riku even knew he was in here. He couldn't believe Kairi convinced him to come here. He sat in gloom for the rest of that day and convinced himself that Kairi put him in here so she could have Riku all to herself to put the blame on her. That was why he was in here. She wanted Riku to herself.

The next morning as Sora re clothed himself; a knock came on the door. He wasn't in the mood for visitors so ignored it but the nurse came in anyway.

"Sora, you have a visitor." He said and Sora turned to see Kairi. The nurse allowed her in for ten minutes due to the other patients who had to go to the front gathering room.

"Oh Sora! I'm so glad to see you!" She said and stood by him. "Are you okay? They're treating you alright, right?" She asked touching his shoulder.

"Save it Kairi. The only reason you put me in here was so you could have Riku all to yourself. I know it." He said and she felt the tears start in her eyes.

"N-no! Sora that's not what I did! I didn't!" she said and tried to turn him to face her.

"Yes! Kairi! You wanted Riku from the beginning then! That's why you told me that he didn't love me!" Sora yelled and started at her. She screamed and he backhanded her. Suddenly 3 nurses burst in and pulled Kairi up. Sora backed up and they used the electric gun to paralyze him. Trying to pull Kairi away she watched the scene and them belting Sora to his bed. Everything was silent and slow as she looked at his empty eyes. _I have to get him out of here_ she though and they slammed the door. She leant on it looking in the window. They fed an IV into his arm and his glazed eyes looked at her in hatred. She walked out of the hospital and into the main building to sign out when she saw the whole reason Sora was in this state: Riku. He was signing himself in and she ran up to him.

"What are you doing here!?" She asked pushing his arm. "Do you want to hurt Sora more!?" She yelled and he looked at her face.

"Did he hit you? That little bast-!" She cut him off.

"Yes Riku! He hit me! But only because of you! You never knew he loved you and it drove him mad! Now he went overboard! He's not Sora anymore! He's a hatred engulfed raged teen again, looking for some reason to blame anyone but him!" She yelled and started off. Riku grabbed her arm.

"H-he loved me?" Riku asked innocently. Kairi nodded and sobbed.

"Don't you remember how hurt he was when you left? Think back to when we were kids. When you gave him that little bumblebee toy; he was so happy because it was from you! He wanted to be like you. He loved you so much. You're why he's here and why he hit me and why he isn't the Sora we all once knew! Face it Riku! You're not as perfect as you think you are!" She said and stomped out.


	5. Change

Author: This will be the last chapter; maybe I'll do an epilogue if I get enough wishes for one. I'm feeling pretty down right now. So drama and emoness are to persue.

Sora laid on the bed for a week until he cooled down. He'd called Kairi and left a message a day ago but she hadn't called back. He smiled when a knock came to the door. He hoped it was Kairi so bad. The nurse walked in and led a tall silver haired boy in.

"R-riku?" Sora asked sitting up.

"Hey Sora." He said and smiled at him. "I know it's been a while; and lot's of stuff has happened. I really don't want to let you down…but I don't love you back." He said as he walked up to Sora. "I can be your friend, but nothing more. There can never be love between us." He said and Sora started to cry and looked at Riku's face.

"N-never?" He asked and Riku looked upset.

"I'm sorry. Not love; but a friend. And I don't know what I'd do without you here. Are you going to be okay?" Riku asked sitting on a chair. Sora nodded and wiped his face. He looked at the nurse still at the door and nodded. She left silently. "Are you sure?" Riku asked cautiously.

"Yeah. I'll get over it." He said and Riku laughed.

"That's my Sora. Always comes back a fighter." He said and hugged the small boy. All Sora wanted now was out of here so he could finally be done with everything else. No matter how much Riku and Kairi would be worried. If he couldn't have Riku he didn't want anyone else.

After 2 more weeks of the white room and sessions with a councilor Sora seemed fine. Although it was just an act. That night when he walked into his mother's house she encased him in her arms. The nurse who was kindest to him had tea with the two of them and left happily.

"Mom?" He asked and she looked so happy as he whispered. He felt guilty for what he was going to say. "I love you."

"I love you too sweety." She said and hugged him. He hugged her back and went to take a shower. He sat a radio on the counter and turned off the counter. He turned on the music and listened to a cd by 'My Chemical Romance'. He sent Kairi a text saying that he'd miss her and hoped for her to move on in the world without him. He undressed and corked the tub. It was full nearly to the brim as he sat in it. He heard the bang first and the slamming on the bathroom door.

"Sora!! Sora!!! Stop! Come out! I can't go on without you Sora!!! Please don't do this to me!!!!" Kairi yelled as she slammed the door. Sora's mom came running and Kairi showed her the text. Sora rested silent in the tub as he heard his mother's sobs.

"Please! Sora honey! Come out! Please!" She yelled and he felt the tears as her voice drown into sobs. Both were pushing the door and slamming it still. Sora grabbed the radio and looked down at his legs' wavy lining in the water.

"Goodbye…" he whispered and dropped the radio. He felt the shock go all through his body and his life flashed before his eyes. _'You're giving it to me?' the little sora asked and the little Riku smiled. 'I'm afraid of middle school Riku; you wont be there.' The younger sora asked the freshman Riku. 'Yeah! I'm in high school! Lets go out for track; just for the fun of it!' sora yelled as a 15 year old to the seventeen year old Riku who'd been on track since freshman year. 'I'm in love!' he said as he tasted the sweet strawberry essence. 'You wanted Riku all to yourself!' he yelled at the frightened Kairi. 'I can't love you back…' Riku said to him. His mother's embrace. _The last thing he saw was Riku and Kairi's faces followed by his mother's sad one. Kairi and his mother burst into the room and pulled him from under the surface. Both sobbed horribly and the neighbor followed closely by Riku came over. All cried for their own reasons. Kairi and Riku lost their best friend. Terra lost her son. The neighbor lost her little hyper garden helper he was as a child and the amazing young man he'd become since then.

-2 months later-

Riku sat at the front of the funeral party with Kairi, his family, Sora's mother; Terra and their other friends. He held Kairi's hand and looked back at Yuna, Rikku and Paine. Yuna's eyes were watering and Rikku was already crying; Paine kept a genuine sad face on with concerning eyes as she looked at Riku's teary face. She placed her hand on his shoulder and he placed his on hers. The priest stood up and started to speak.

"The young man to be lain in the ground today; was one of the bravest, strongest, immaturest young men I've ever met." He earned a chuckle. "I first met him when he was a boy at the church. He looked up at a statue of God and smiled. I asked him: 'What are you smiling about?' And he laughed. 'I have seen him before.' He told me. I smiled and told him that we all have in a different forum. He was an estranged by with large blue tear drop eyes. Like you could drown in them." He said and teared up. He stopped to wipe his face. "We all loved him. He was a very friendly and special boy. Everyone he knew; he touched in his own way and helped them. No matter if he was singing a crazy song about a dog dyed dark green with a strawberry blonde-paw. I saw him do that once too. His theme song I guess. I saw him once write the lyrics out for me. It was an insane song by The B-52's about a dog named Quiche Lorraine. Anyway, we all loved Sora with our whole hearts and always will. I'd like to welcome Sora's 2 best friends Riku and Kairi to the stand." He said and they stood.

Riku held her hand and lead her up the stairs. She had on dark jeans, a black turtle neck shirt and a black vest. Her hair pulled back in a low pony tail. She'd taken this the hardest than anyone else had.

"Well, Sora was my best friend. I'll surely miss him. Secretly he actually was in love with me. I didn't see that and ultimately made a mistake. It drove him crazy; so he went to the hospital. I visited him only once. That makes me mad. I should have gone more. I was in a world of my own at the time. Nowhere near him or his life. He might still be here if it weren't for me." He said and Kairi stepped up.

"Today my best friend will be lain to rest. I can just imagine him walking up to that big golden gate in the sky with a look of pure curiosity and bliss on his face. He'll glow like the angel he was here on earth; but now he'll have the wings and halo to prove it." She said and wiped her eyes. "I'll miss you Sora. We all will remember you and your goofy antics. You were our special friend; the one who sang and danced to his own beat. We will always remember you." She said and placed the little 'Bumblebee' figure in his casket in his hand. Riku and her walked back to their seats.

"We grieve for you Terra, Riku and Kairi. And we grieve for ourselves too. We had an angel in our midsts; but we must let him go back to where he belongs." He said and closed the casket. Everyone left but Yuna, Rikku, Paine, Riku, Kairi, Terra and Riku's parents. Sora was as much Terra's child as their own in a way.

Dropping with a dull thud the casket landed perfectly. The small group stood for an hour as they buried him. Riku read and re read the tomb stone. It was exceptionally large and he read it aloud.

"Sora Kartic. 1990-2007. The dearest of friends. The best of sons. The estranged boy who imprinted on the lives of many." He said and Kairi broke down into Terra. Both cried and stayed for another hour as Riku left with Yuna, Rikku, Paine and his family. As they started back for the car it was dark. A dim light caught their attention and they turned to see the blurred figure of a glowing Sora. He waved and they smiled. He was okay. He walked into some clouds and they faintly heard his song: Quiche Lorraine by The B-52's. They smiled and Kairi took off her locket. She knelt down and made a small hole. She sat the necklace in the dark hole and buried it too.

"Goodnight Sora." She said and left hand in hand with Terra.

bows I hope you enjoyed it. Looking for more? Like Naruto? Check out my Jade Dragon story. Surely you'll be pleased. If you'd like an epilogue please just request it. Neko, I bet you will. So I'll probably do one anyway. Ha ha


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